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Modi Govt replaces intellectuals with Arnab Goswami, BJP MP and two others at Nehru Memorial

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8 years ago

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Nehru Memorial Museum & Library

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Prime Minister Narendra Modi has nominated the news anchor Arnab Goswami, known for hot-headed, noisy ‘debates’ along with a BJP MP, a former pro-BJP/RSS journalist and a former diplomat as members to the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Society.

The NMML society is responsible for taking decisions pertaining to the memorial.

The new appointees replace eminent personalities like academic Pratap Bhanu Mehta, economist Nitin Desai, Professor Udayan Mishra and former bureaucrat BP Singh. Bhanu Pratap Mehta, had submitted his resignation in 2016, citing ‘political pressure’, and protesting against the appointment of former Bureaucrat Shakti Sinha’s as NMML’s director.

The government notification comes days after the Centre laid the foundation stone for a museum for all Prime Ministers in the Teen Murti estate on 15 October, a move about which former PM Manmohan Singh had expressed strong reservations in a letter written to PM Modi on 24 August. Singh had expressed concern over the government changing the ‘nature and character’ of the complex and said it should remain ‘undisturbed’.

The four who have been appointed as members are Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami, former foreign secretary S Jaishankar, Bharatiya Janata Party MP and president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and chairman of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Ram Bahadur Rai.

According to an order issued by the Union Ministry of Culture “with the approval” of the prime minister, Mehta’s resignation from the NMML Society was accepted and his spot on the board has gone to Goswami. Goswami, former editor-in-chief of Times Now and ET Now, co-founded Republic TV with businessman-politician Rajeev Chandrashekhar.

Desai has been replaced by former journalist and author Ram Bahadur Rai, who was in 2016 also appointed by the Modi government to head the 20-member board of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts.

Speaking to The Quint, economist Nitin Desai, who has been ousted from the NMML society said, “It is within their right to induct whoever they wish, and they have done that, it’s okay. A lot depends on how the NMML society now functions, let’s see. I hope NMML retains its standing as an academic institution which is respected by scholars, students and historians.”

Mehta and Desai had opposed the Centre’s move to set up a Museum for Prime Ministers within the Teen Murti premises just a few months ago. Teen Murti is closely linked with the legacy of the first Prime Minister and Congress leader Jawaharlal Nehru.

Another member, Dr BP Singh, has been replaced by career diplomat and former foreign secretary of India, S Jaishankar, who served as the Indian ambassador to the US, China and the Czech Republic, and high commissioner to Singapore. A key player during the negotiations of the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement, Jaishankar joined the Tata group on his retirement.

The fourth person to find a place on the reconstituted NMML board is BJP national vice-president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe. He heads the party’s think tank, Public Policy Research Centre, and was earlier appointed president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

MJ Akbar Remains the Vice-Chairman

The NMML Society meets once a year and the head of the NMML reports to the Executive Council constituted by the society. Former Union minister MJ Akbar, who has been accused of sexual harassment by more than a dozen women journalists in the #MeToo storm, remains the vice chairman of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library executive council, pointed out a report in The Quint.

Goswami’s choice particularly appeared to be intended to make a point and send out a message. Always unduly aggressive in the noisy prime time programmes he anchors, he came across as a submissive and tame journalist when PM Modi favoured him with an interview. He is known to  toe the Modi government’s line and directs all ‘hard’ questions to opposition.

If the intention was to send out a message, it hit home. Reacting to the development, Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha described Goswami as a “religious bigot, who regularly spews hatred, spreads fake news and polarises society”. Accusing Goswami of being a BJP-RSS “mole masquerading as a TV anchor”, Jha tweeted that he would be sacked as soon as Congress wins the 2019 polls.

Many senior journalists also said that Goswami’s appointment was not a good idea as the NMML is a place for scholars, and not just for camp-followers.

It was apparent that the differences voiced by some NMML members over the issue of the Museum for Prime Ministers had a bearing on the recent changes.

NMML head Shakti Sinha told News18, “There have been dissenters to the idea of a museum for all PMs. The government wanted people who could contribute towards the new museum. They wanted to have people with expertise in understanding the contemporary Indian politics, either as participants in Indian politics or as writers and observers. That is why the four have been appointed.”

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Himanta Biswa Sarma takes oath as Assam chief minister for second consecutive term

Published

4 hours ago

on

May 12, 2026

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Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday took oath as Assam chief minister for a second consecutive term as the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returned to power in the state for a third straight term.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Khanapara Veterinary College Field in Guwahati in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and BJP national president Nitin Nabin. More than 40 NDA chief ministers and deputy chief ministers also attended the event.

Along with Himanta Biswa Sarma, four ministers from NDA alliance partners took oath as cabinet ministers in the new Assam government.

The NDA secured 102 seats in the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly in the 2026 elections. The BJP won 82 seats, while allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) secured 10 seats each.

Ministers sworn in with Himanta Biswa Sarma

Atul Bora

AGP president Atul Bora took oath as a cabinet minister in the new Assam government. Bora was elected from the Bokakhat constituency in the 2026 Assembly elections.

A senior AGP leader, Bora has represented Bokakhat since 2016 and earlier served as MLA from Golaghat between 1996 and 2001. He has handled several important portfolios in previous Assam governments, including agriculture, horticulture and food processing, animal husbandry and veterinary, urban development, and town and country planning.

Ajanta Neog

Senior BJP leader Ajanta Neog was sworn in as a cabinet minister and is expected to remain a key face in the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government.

Neog, who won from the Golaghat constituency in the 2026 Assembly elections, served as Assam’s finance minister in the previous government. She became the first woman finance minister of the state and has represented the Golaghat Assembly constituency continuously since 2001.

Rameswar Teli

Senior BJP leader Rameswar Teli also took oath as a cabinet minister. He was elected from the Duliajan constituency in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Teli previously served as Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas, labour and employment, and food processing industries. He had represented Dibrugarh as a Member of Parliament from 2014 to 2024 and earlier served as MLA from Duliajan between 2001 and 2011.

Charan Boro

BPF leader Charan Boro was sworn in as a cabinet minister in the new Assam government. He was elected from the Majbat constituency in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Boro served as transport minister in the previous government and has represented Majbat in the Assam Legislative Assembly since 2016. He has also handled departments related to transport and Bodoland welfare.

Ranjeet Kumar Dass likely to become Speaker

Senior BJP leader Ranjeet Kumar Dass is set to become the new Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly.

Dass won from the Bhawanipur-Sorbhog constituency in the 2026 Assembly elections. A former journalist, he previously served as Assam’s minister for panchayat and rural development, food and civil supplies, and consumer affairs. He had also served as Speaker of the Assam Assembly between 2016 and 2017.

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Himanta Biswa Sarma says Assam may get 18-19 ministers in new NDA government

Published

20 hours ago

on

May 11, 2026

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Himanta sharma

Assam Chief Minister-designate Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the new BJP-led NDA government in the state is likely to have around 18 to 19 ministers in the council of ministers.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for May 12, Sarma said discussions regarding the final composition of the cabinet are still underway and no names have been finalised yet.

“There may be around 18-19 ministers, but whether we include new faces or retain experienced ones will depend on the guidance we receive,” Sarma said while responding to questions on cabinet formation.

The swearing-in ceremony of the new Assam government will take place at the Veterinary College ground in Guwahati. Sarma is set to begin his second consecutive term as chief minister after the BJP-led NDA secured a sweeping victory in the Assam Assembly elections.

The NDA won 102 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly, paving the way for the alliance to form the government for a third straight term in the state.

Sarma also said the new government would continue focusing on Assam’s welfare and development over the next five years, adding that the alliance had received a strong public mandate in the elections.

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Himanta Biswa Sarma to take oath as Assam Chief Minister on May 12 after NDA’s sweeping victory

Published

1 day ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

Himanta sharma

Himanta Biswa Sarma is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Assam on May 12 after the BJP-led NDA secured a decisive victory in the 2026 Assembly elections. The alliance won 102 seats in the 126-member Assembly, paving the way for the NDA government’s third consecutive term in the state.

Sarma was unanimously elected as the leader of the NDA legislature party during a meeting held in Guwahati. BJP national president J. P. Nadda attended the meeting as the party’s central observer, while Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was present as co-observer.

Following the meeting, Sarma and senior NDA leaders met Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya to stake claim to form the government. The Governor later invited him to form the next government in the state.

According to reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are likely to attend the swearing-in ceremony in Guwahati.

The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 82 seats, while its allies Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People’s Front won 10 seats each, taking the NDA tally to 102.

Sarma first became Assam Chief Minister in 2021 and is now set to begin his second consecutive term in office.

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